Staff and students have paid tribute to a Leicester University undergraduate and keen sportswoman who died in a car crash.

Thea Cordingley, 19, was killed when the Fiat Punto she was driving crashed into a tree on Tuesday night.

Police have launched an appeal for witnesses into the accident, which happened on the A5199 in Arnesby, near Fleckney.

Clare Taylor, head of student welfare at the university, said: "Staff and students at the University of Leicester were shocked to hear of Thea Cordingley's tragic death.

"Thea was just 19 years old. She had joined the university in autumn, 2008, and was studying for a degree in management.

"She was an active sportsperson, playing women's rugby for the university team. She was also a popular member of her hall of residence. She will certainly be missed."

Thea's family, who live in Harpole, in Northamptonshire, are too upset to talk to the media.

The collision happened at about 7.45pm in Welford Road, about 200 metres south of its junction with Fleckney Road.

Detective Constable Nick Bryan, said: "The Punto was travelling towards Shearsby when it left the road and collided with a tree. We would appeal to anyone who witnessed the incident, or saw the vehicle beforehand, to contact us."

Residents have called for increased road safety signs near the crash site, saying there have been a number of similar accidents recently.

A spokesman for the county highways department said: "The county council takes road safety extremely seriously and will look into the circumstances of the incident, as it does after every fatal accident on its roads.

"This involves looking into the detail of the accident and assessing the accident history of the site before deciding whether further action would help to reduce the likelihood of any recurrence."

Anyone with information is asked to contact DC Bryan, of Leicestershire police, on 0116 222 2222.